Len The Plumber's Blog

What You Can and Can’t Flush Down The Toilet

Okay, so a topic like this can be a little sensitive, for lack of a better word. Nevertheless, it’s a question we get asked all the time.

When it comes to worry-free flushability, stick to the basics: human waste and toilet paper only.

That’s the short list. Here’s a much longer list of things that are frequently flushed down toilets that definitely should not be!

Facial tissues

Baby wipes, disinfectant wipes, moist wipes, etc.

Toilet bowl scrub pads

Swiffers

Napkins (paper or cloth), paper towels

Dental floss

Egg shells, nutshells, and coffee grounds

Fats, oils, and greases

Hair

Sanitary napkins, tampons, condoms, or any non-organic material

Vitamins, medicines or other pharmaceuticals

Sheet plastic, or plastic of any kind

Diapers (cloth, disposable, “flushable”)

Still not convinced? Then try this “flushability test.” Fill two bowls with water. Place toilet paper in one, and place one of the items above in the other. Swish both items in the water. Wait an hour, then swish again. The toilet paper should have significantly disintegrated by then, while the other item (for example, Kleenex, wipes, napkins, etc.) will likely remain intact. Unless the item disintegrates at the rate of toilet paper, it should be placed in the garbage and not down the toilet. Otherwise, you risk a blockage in your own pipes as well as clogging a pump station and causing a sewage backup for other homes and businesses. Remember: the drains that connect your home to the main sewer are often no wider than 4 inches.

Of course, should you encounter a clogged toilet (or other clogged drain) in your Maryland area home, you know what to do: contact Len the Plumber to unclog a toilet in your home.